![\"Car](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/car-tire-chang-and-check-working-in-garage-new-tire-ZZG7NICM6RG6PLT5Y57WAY4YAQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA coroner says the accidental death of a teenager while repairing his car highlights the risks associated with undertaking vehicle maintenance beneath a raised vehicle without appropriate safety precautions.<\/p>\n
Eighteen-year-old Kishan Atit Patel went to his neighbour’s home on September 25, 2025 to borrow a jack and other tools to change the oil in his car.<\/p>\n
“It appears that Kishan was accustomed to repairing his own car,” Coroner Ian Telford said in his report.<\/p>\n
“The neighbour advises that he also provided advice about the appropriate equipment required to jack the vehicle safely before Kishan left.”<\/p>\n
Patel was found later that afternoon by a friend who had gone around to see him after not being able to contact him on his cellphone.<\/p>\n
“He found Kishan under the car, with the car on top of him,” the report said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Car tire chang and check working in garage new tire (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n
“After jacking the car up, he raised the alarm, although he was relatively certain that Kishan had died. Nevertheless, resuscitation was started until the ambulance staff arrived and took over.”<\/p>\n
Telford said police, who also attended the death, reported that the trolley jack had been positioned beneath the front bumper of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
“Photographs show that the bumper buckled under the weight of the car, which caused the vehicle to become unstable and fall onto Kishan,” Telford said.<\/p>\n
Police advised the coroner that there were no suspicious or untoward circumstances surrounding the death.<\/p>\n
Telford agreed with the opinion of the pathologist that performed the post-mortem that Patel’s death was caused by blunt force injuries of the head and torso<\/p>\n
He found the death to be accidental and said it highlighted the “well-recognised risks” associated with undertaking vehicle maintenance beneath a raised vehicle without appropriate safety precautions.<\/p>\n
“Trolley jacks are designed for lifting vehicles only at manufacturer-specified jacking points and are not intended to support a vehicle’s weight without additional, stable supports. Incorrect placement or reliance on a jack alone may result in instability and sudden collapse, as occurred in this tragic case,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The Motor Industry Training Organisation advises that vehicles must be supported by properly rated stands before any work is undertaken beneath them and that people should never work under a vehicle that is supported only by a jack.”<\/p>\n
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including the arrest of a former prince. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
Telford said the death underscored the importance of using appropriate, purpose-designed equipment, following manufacturer instructions, and ensuring vehicles were adequately supported before any person positioned themselves underneath.<\/p>\n
In concluding the inquiry, Telford also offered his condolences to Patel’s family and friends.<\/p>\n